Introducing Ardi

Recently, scientists announced a series of findings related to what paleoarchaeologists believe is a hominid ancestor who lived 4.4 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia.

Ardipithecus ramidus, affectionately nicknamed Ardi, was unearthed over the course of several years in the mid-'90s in an area known as Middle Awash, where scientists located more than 125 bone fragments from the same female skeleton.

Since then, scientists from around the world have been studying various aspects of what these bone fragments and other fossils suggest about this ancient hominid and the area where she lived in an effort to create a more detailed picture of the past.

In the October 2, 2009, issue of Science, more than 40 of these scientists from across a broad range of disciplines came together to release 11 research articles that give us that fuller picture. In it, we learn, among other things, that this creature walked upright, but had an opposable big toe that allowed it to climb trees and walk along their boughs; that Ardi did not have the knuckle-walking abilities of today's chimpanzees or gorillas, meaning that its hands were flexible; and that it lived in an area of forestland, not in the savannah, as had previously been hypothesized.

These are exciting revelations about the evolution of human beings and their ancestors. Science NetLinks is proud to offer the following resources to give students the chance to learn more about Ardi, paleontology, evolution, and prehistoric theories.
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Science Updates

6-12 | Audio
In this Science Update, hear about an important piece of the human family tree scientists recently found.

AAAS Resources

Ardipithecus ramidusGrade Band: 9-12 Description:Science offers a collection of articles on the significance of Ardipithecus ramidus. Free registration is required to view some of the materials. The topics covered range from how the habitat of Ethiopia has changed to the evolution of upright walking to tie-ins to Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, published 150 years ago. Other links take the reader to the transcript of an online chat, video of the press conference announcing the findings, and background on the authors of the papers.

The Analysis of Ardipithecus ramidus—One of the Earliest Known HominidsGrade Band: 9-12 Description: This Science video provides background information on Ardipithecus ramidus, including the work related to the dig in Middle Awash, why it took so long for these studies to come out after the initial discoveries were made, and what significance these findings have for creating a more complete picture of the human family tree. The video includes interviews from several experts (including the project's co-director) as well as some interesting graphics.

Science Magazine PodcastGrade Band: 9-12 Description: This excerpt from the Science podcast offers various perspectives on the significance of the Ardi discovery and what hypotheses can be drawn from the evidence.

Other Resources

Discovering ArdiGrade Band: 6-12Description: This Discovery Channel production is the official website for students interested in learning about Ardipithecus ramidus. It offers many great interactive pieces and narrative pieces.